The Daily Bongo

Books

Friday, February 26, 2010 -- Evening

Paris Vendetta

I have been doing some reading while I have been watching the Olympics. After all, there are always commercials. Since I love thrillers, I decided to try a book by Steve Berry. His latest book, Paris Vendetta was sitting on the new books shelf at the library, and I thought I would give it a try. Whenever you look for books by authors like Dan Brown, Steve Berry's name comes up, so I thought that it would be a good choice. Berry writes in a very similar style to Dan Brown. However, I think that the comparison ends there. I have a complete review, but the quick analysis is that I was not very impressed with the book. I did read the entire book, and I did get the first book in the series to see if the reason the Paris Vendetta was so confusing was because I didn't know the characters and their history. I'll see if that is the case, or if Berry is just a poor story teller.

Thursday, January 28, 2010 -- Evening

RIP Holden Caulfield

J. D. Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye died today at the age of 91 of natural causes, ie, old age. I think that most people were surprised to hear that Salinger was still alive. He had lead a reclusive live since 1965. It would be interesting to know what Salinger thought during this period, just because he had such an influence with his books, and then just walked away from it all. It seems that Salinger wrote for himself after 1965, and kept all the work. I'm betting that we are going to start seeing tons of new Salinger publications now that he is dead.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 -- Evening

Douglas Preston's Impact

I have been on a reading rampage of late, trying to get in as much reading as I can before I start my new full-time job in February. Over the past two days, I have been reading Impact by Douglas Preston. Douglas Preston is part of the writing team of Preston and Lincoln Child. They write books together and as solo artists. Impact is a solo effort on the part of Preston. The book brings back one of the characters from earlier books, Wyman Ford, a former CIA operative. The beginning of the book ties in three seemingly disparate stories. Abbey Straw sees a meteor streak across the skies in Maine. She assumes that it has landed on an island off the coast because there wasn't a tidal affect by it. She takes her friend Jackie on a hunting trip for the meteorite. Then we have Mark Curso from the NPF, a government agency monitoring the Martian orbiters, who receives a strange package with a stolen, classified hard drive, sent by his boss and mentor Jason Freeman, who was recently fired from NPF and then murdered. Freeman was looking at gamma ray data from Mars, which shouldn't be a source of gamma rays. Finally, we have Ford, who is sent by the government to check out a stash of radioactive stones that have started to appear around the world and are suspected to have originated from a mine in Cambodia. How are these three stories tied? Well, they are tied together by an alien device on Mars' moon, Deimos, which is emitting gamma rays, hurtling a missile at Earth (the meteor), and slicing through Earth, entering near Maine, and exiting in Cambodia. The book becomes a race to decipher the information, escape the hit man sent to collect the hard drive, and stop the alien machine from destroying Earth. Yes, the premise behind the book begs for the reader to suspend belief. All the same, I thought that the action was fast paced, and I kept on wondering what would happen next, and how the book would end. it was a good, entertaining, fun read. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a fast-paced, science fiction type thriller with loads of action.

Sunday, January 17, 2010 -- Evening

Crichton's Sphere

I found another Michael Crichton book that I hadn't read. This one was Sphere, the story of a group of scientists who are sent by the Navy to examine a crashed ship located in the South Pacific Ocean. Norman Johnson, a psychologist who usually works on plane crashes, is called in to the investigation, but given very little information about what is going on. When he arrives in at the location in the Pacific Ocean, he learns that the investigation is for a possible spacecraft found 1000 feet down in the ocean. Johnson had worked on a plan for the US government on how to deal with alien life, and he finds the team that he had recommended in the report are gathered to assist the Navy. The team, mathematician Harry Adams, biologist Beth Halpern, and astrophysicist Ted Fielding, join the Navy personnel in the deep sea habitat to investigate the craft. With the examination, they find that the craft probably got there from America's future by traveling through a black hole. When they enter the craft, they find a sphere. Is it alien? What is its purpose? It has a door, but how does one open the door? Harry eventually finds a way into the sphere, and after that, the scientist start to communicate with the being. It is friendly or not? As strange things happen, and the ship comes under attack from a giant squid, it becomes obvious that there is danger. As with other Crichton books, the plot takes use of science and action. I found myself devouring the book quickly, eager to find out what was going on, and how it would resolve. There was a movie made from the book, and supposedly, I went to see it when it first came out. The film made no impression on me whatsoever. Surprisingly, my boyfriend remembers when we went, and said that the movie was awful, and he could only remember one scene with Harry, played by Samuel Jackson. I really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it. Crichton has a way with making science fiction interesting and exciting. Whenever I read a book by Crichton, I find myself so absorbed in the story that I don't notice passing time. Crichton's books are great escapist reads. Unfortunately, there won't be any more new ones, except for Pirate Latitudes, which sucked, and the unfinished book. In the meantime, we have to satisfy ourselves with rereading the old books.

Sunday, January 10, 2010 -- Evening

Talking About a Little Bit of Detective Fiction

I read the short book that P. D. James wrote for the Bodlein LIbrary at Oxford to help raise funds for the library. The book is titled Talking About Detective Fiction. i was interested in reading the book because I wanted to see what James, a best selling mystery novelist in her own right, has to say about mysteries. Well, I was disappointed. I have never read a book by James. I think I tried one a few years ago, but it was incredibly boring so I gave it up. I think that part of the problem is that James loves to sound intellectual, so she frequently uses multi-syllabic words and sentences that can contain well over 50 words. The most disappointing aspect of the book is that she only concentrates on a very few writers and gives a very simplistic view of the history of the genre. From reading the book, I know the few authors that James has read, and that she seems to have a rather negative view of Agatha Christie. I suppose James wonders how someone can use accessible language and short sentences and sell a book. It's called telling a story. I don't want to be overwhelmed with the author trying to impress me with his or her literary style. i want a plot, a puzzle, and a murderer brought to justice. It won't take long to read the James' book. It's 198 pages, with an extremely short line length, and large leading (the space between the lines on the page) of the 5 x 7 inch book. In fact, it will probably be even quicker to read when you start to skim when you reach the mid point of the book. The highlight of the book were the cartoons dealing with mysteries that are scattered throughout the book.

Saturday, January 9, 2010 -- Evening

Crichton's Prey

I just finished reading Prey by Michael Crichton today. I don't know how I missed reading this book when it first came out, but somehow I did. Boy, was I glad that I finally got around to reading it! The plot follows the typical Crichton theme, technology gone awry because of stupid human ego and lack of consideration for the implications of their work. When you look at Crichton's website, you see many references to chaos theory and complexity theory. In the book, the narrator's wife is involved in a company that is trying to create nanoparticles to perform camera duties. The technology shows the particles in action with benign implications for medical imaging. However, the military would like the particles to create a military camera, to observe the enemy. Well, of course, things go awry. Jack Forman, the narrator, notices that his wife, Julia, who is a VP at Xymos, the company manufacturing the nanoparticles has started to behave differently. She is staying at work later, distancing herself from her family, and Jack starts to wonder if Julia is having an affair. When eight month old baby, Amanda, becomes ill with a strange skin reaction, Jack is the one who shows enough concern to take the baby to the emergency room. Their two older children also feel a distance from their mother. It is just the stress of promoting new technology that has Julia acting so strange, or is it an affair. Jack soon finds out when is he called in to troubleshoot his predator/prey software program that Xymos bought to automate the particles. I love how Crichton weaves science and suspense, and this book is quite a page turner. I know that some folks have problems with Crichton because they claim his books are exactly scientifically accurate, and they make derogatory remarks about his writing style. Personally, I always think those comments are made by writers who can't tell a story, or people who are unable to tell the difference between fiction and non-fiction. I loved the story and would highly recommend the book to anyone who wants a thrill a minute story.

Saturday, October 31, 2009 -- Evening

Lost Symbol

I finally got around to reading Dan Brown's Lost Symbol. It has been in my TBR pile since I got it in September, but I had other books in the queue. I have conflicted feelings about the book. Read my review for more information.

Thursday, August 20, 2009 -- Evening

The Defector

I just finished reading the brand new Daniel Silva book, The Defector. It's a good book that I would definitely recommend. I do have a full review of the book.

Thursday, June 26, 2009 -- Afternoon

Shojo Beat Canceled

I just found out some bad news today. Shojo Beat magazine has been discontinued. Because I am behind in my reading of Shojo Beat, I didn't notice that the July 2009 issue, on the newsstands on June 16, was the last issue. Subscribers can either get a refund of their money, or complete their subscription with Shonen Jump. The problem that I have that is that Shonen Jump is not shojo manga. If I like shojo manga, which is targeted towards young females, then I'm not going to be a huge fan of shonen manga, which is targeted towards males. I guess what it comes down to is that males, and probably young teenage boys in general, are more likely to buy comics and manga. At least that is the lesson that I take away.

Thursday, June 11, 2009 -- Evening

Dead and Gone Review

I just finished reading Charlaine Harris' latest Sookie Stackhouse mystery, Dead and Gone. I had read a few reviews before I read the book, and they spanned the gamut from great to disappointing read. Those who said that it was disappointing commented on how the plot didn't seem to advance the general Sookie storyline and how Ms. Harris seemed confused and inconsistent about Sookie's past. Some even said that they thought the book, which was released just a few weeks ago, was meant to promote the new season of True Blood more than to continue the characters in the book. (Who can blame them when there is a blurb for the new season on the front cover of the book?) So what did I think of the book? I liked it. I think that Ms. Harris has had problems with consistency in following the plot in previous books in the series. In fact, I think in the foreward to one of the books, she mentioned that she has someone who is supposed to keep an eye out for such problems because she admits that's not her strong point. I admit that whenever I come across one of the inconsistences, like Eric not being aware that Sookie never got her money for her work in Chicago for Sophie Anne Leclerq, when Sookie harassed the Eric about the money several times in the previous book, I just roll my eyes, and continue on. In Dead and Gone, I think the story takes a turn for the dark side, and it really tumbles Sookie's world ass over tea kettle. Some major deaths happen, and the book ends with an air of uncertainty. What direction will the books take next because I believe that a major change happens in Dead and Gone. Most important of all is Sookie's relationship with Bill and Eric. From the way the book ended, I would think that there would have to be a change there. In the last few books, more has been made of Sookie's blood bond with Eric (even though I think she may have shared blood with Bill three times, which should mean she is blood bonded to her.) I have to admit that I'm not as keen on the Eric relationship. I prefer Bill, even though I know that he done our Sookie wrong when she found out that he started a relationship with her at the beheast of Sophie Anne. The next book, due out next year, should further advance the story and maybe take us down another route which will open more avenues for stories. At least, I hope that is the case because Dead and Gone closed quite a few. All in all, if you read the other Sookie Stackhouse books, you'll like this one.

Sunday, May 31, 2009 -- Evening

I have been rereading Elizabeth Peters' books. I really don't remember the earlier books in the Amelia Peabody series, and I can't remember if I read the standalones or not. Some of them I have memories of, but others I can't recall at all. I'm one of those people who don't mind rereading a good story, so I don't have a problem with reading something that I read years ago. This afternoon, I just finished a standalone, The Jackal's Head. It's Althea Tomlinson, nicknamed Tommy, who returns to Egypt in response to a note sent to her by an old Egyptian, Abdelal, who knew her father. Tommy has to confront her past from 10 years earlier when her father left Egypt in disgrace for trying to sell a fake statue. Shortly after leaving Egypt, he died, to leave 15 year old Tommy on her own. In Egypt, Tommy has to confront John and Mike, forner collegues of her father's. Abdelal died before Tommy made it to Egypt, but she finds that he was going to tell her about a location of an undiscovered tomb that he and her father found. The fake was actually the real deal. The interesting thing about the book are the characters. The book was published in 1968, and Tommy and John are very obviously early versions of Peabody and Emerson. John, especially! He has the gruff manner of Emerson, and strides about yelling, wearing no hat. Strong featured. I guess Elizabeth Peters tried out the character, and his persona must have stuck with her. She wanted to reuse him so she made some modifications (John has silver hair where Emerson has black) and went from there. The Jackel's Head is a good book, and I sped through it with enjoyment. If you get a chance to read it, you should. Very good story. Now I'm on to book four in the Amelia Peabody series, The Lion in the Valley.

Friday, May 15, 2009 -- Afternoon

With the release of the Angels and Demons movie this weekend and The Lost Symbol in September, people have been getting on Dan Brown's case again. "He can't write" is the mantra constantly proclaimed by the elitist group that probably buys and devours his book in secret. What the heck are they talking about? The guy can write, and he can tell a darned good story, keeping the reader ingrossed in the novel until late at night. To me, that's the sign of a good writer. I have read all four of his books and enjoyed every one of them. It irks me no end to hear people trashing Brown just because his books are popular. There was also a story in the news today about one of the actors in the movie, Stellan Skarsgard, saying that he thinks Brown is an awful writer, and the only reason he accepted the role was because the script was so good. I'd say it's because he wanted the money, but is too elitist to admit it. My favorite quote of Skarsgard's was ""It's like eating peanuts at a bar. You don't like them, but you keep on eating them anyway." Please, if I don't like something, I don't eat it or read it. I like both peanuts and Dan Brown, and I can't wait to read The Lost Symbol.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 -- Late Afternoon

I just finished reading Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston this afternoon. It was an excellent thrill ride of a book, and one that I strongly recommend. Read my review of the book.

Sunday, March 1, 2009 -- Late Afternoon

I just finished reading Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Read my review of the book.

Saturday, November 8, 2008 -- Late Afternoon

There was sad news earlier this week. Michael Crichton, writer of some of my favorite fiction, died from cancer. He didn't make a public statement of his illnes, and the public didn't know about it until his death. I loved his books because they had a scientific bend and were written by a questioning mind. Crichton made it plain to all that he thought any inquiring and intelligent mind could understand scientific matters. Instead of accepting scientific claims, it is up to the person to read more about it and make a decision on whether the science held to scientfic standards or was just a way to sell a product. In State of Fear, Crichton questioned whether scientists really understood the cause and cure for global warming, and whether the change in climate was as dramatic as some claimed AND caused by man. Even if we did have a hand in causing a change in climate, could man fix it? I think these are legitimate quesitons. However, those in charge of pushing a certain agenda don't want questioning minds. They want blind faith. I'm going to miss MIchael Crichton. I'm going to miss the intellectual challenges and the entertainment that he provided.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007 -- Evening

I have been reading a wonderful series of mystery novels over the past few days. The books are written by Joseph Telushkin. Telushkin is a rabbi who is known for the books that he has written about the Jewish faith. Telushkin wrote only three Rabbi Daniel Winter mysteries, The Unorthodox Murder of Rabbi Wahl, The Final Analysis of Dr. Stark, and An Eye for an Eye. The books could fall in the category of cozy because the mystery is solved by an amateur detective, Rabbi Winter. The books also contain a good smattering of explanations of the Jewish faith. So how do the mysteries compare to books written by authors who focus only on fiction and mysteries? They are very good. The mysteries were good puzzles, and the characters were well written. I found myself empathizing with many of them. The books also contain some degree of moralizing which doesn't detract from the story. The first novel in the trilogy, The Unorthodox Murder of Rabbi Wahl presents the story of women in religion. The Rabbi Wahl of the title is Myrna Wahl, a female rabbi, who unfortunately is not portrayed in the most positive light before her murder. The second book, The Final Analysis of Dr. Stark deals with the issue of gossip and how distructive it is to life. Gossip is considered a serious sin in Judaism. This started from earlier times when gossiping or tattling on someone could lead to their death. This was especially true when one ratted out on a friend or neighbor to the Nazis in an attempt to save one's own skin. Some think of gossiping or being a stooly as a victimless crime. However that is far from true because the person who is gossiped about often suffers the repercussions of the tattler. The third book, An Eye for an Eye, deals with the justice system. A doctor's young daughter is murdered by her obsessive boyfriend. The boyfriend is defended by a lawyer who assassinates the character of the woman, making it seem that she gave the boyfriend just cause to kill her. When the boyfriend is given a light three year sentence for the murder, the father murders the boyfriend: an eye for an eye. Rabbi Winter speaks at the father's bail hearing to denounce the light sentences of the judical system. Although what the father did was not right, Rabbi Winter explains that it is understandable. The daughter's life was worth more than only three years of jail time. When the boyfriend's lawyer is later murdered, the question becomes did the father kill again to avenge his daughter. The stories are well written, the mysteries are clever, and the characters are likeable. I found myself wishing that I could spend more time with Rabbi Winter. However, Telushkin only wrote three Rabbi Winter novels. So I will have to satisfy myself by reading some of Telushkin's books on Judaism. I would strongly recommend the Rabbi Winter books to any lover of mysteries or books with a Jewish theme.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007 -- Evening

I just finished reading the new Daniel Silva book, Secret Servant. The book just came out in July, and I got it from the local library. Gabriel Allon makes his latest appearance when Elizabeth Halton, the daughter of the American Ambassador to Great Britain, is kidnapped. The guard that was jogging with her in Hyde Park, and Allon arrives only in time to kill a few of the terrorists. Allon and the Israeli contingent join forces with the American and British secret services to hunt down the Sword of Allah and rescue Elizabeth Halton. The book is the usual thrill ride that is expected from a Silva book. Allon doesn't come out of things cleanly in this book, and I was wondering if Allon and Elizabeth Halton would make it. It isn't necessary to have read the earlier books to get wrapped up in the action in this book. I highly recommend the series to any lover of action and intrique. If you are like me, you will have difficulty putting down the book as you get wrapped up in the plot.

Saturday, July 28, 2007 -- Evening

I have finally finished by review of Harry Potter. I loved the book, and I have to admit that the story has been preying on my mind since I started reading the book.

Monday, July 23, 2007 -- Afternoon

I am still reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I think that I should be done with it sometime this evening. Right now, I have around 300 pages left to read, and the action has really started to build. I really wonder where thing are going to go, and how things are resolved. It sucked to leave the book behind at home while I came to work. I know if I brought it to work, I would try to read it--especially since I was just getting to a very tense moment. I hope to have more information on the book tomorrow.

Saturday, July 21, 2007 -- Evening

I was one of those people who queued up at midnight to buy the latest Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. By the time I got home, I was feeling tired from having allergy problems for the past few days, and only read a few pages. I've been doing some reading today, but haven't had alot of reading opportunities. Now it is later in the evening, and i hope to get a good bit of reading done tonight. So far, I'm abit over 100 pages into the book, and really enjoying it. The action has been great. I have this feeling of anticipation, wondering what will happen. How will Harry win in the end, and which two characters will die (as publicized by J.K. Rowling befor the book's publication). I've been trying to avoid any sites that might give too much information, because I don't want to ruin all of the suspense. Hopefully, I will have more to say about the book soon.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007 -- Afternoon

I have been started something new. I have started to review mystery manga for Gumshoe. I still have a couple of manga to work on, but I did post one review for Kamen Tantei 2, and you can check it out here.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007 -- Evening

I have really been enjoying my manga breaks. I've been trying to get in as much studying as possible over the past few weeks because my GRE is fast approaching---less than three weeks. As I get ready for bed, I read some manga. Right now, I am working on the InuYasha series. I noticed that Cartoon Network has some anime on late at night, so I have been recording the InuYasha series and Shin Chan. Because of this recent manga/anime addiction, I'm going to start studying Japanese with my boyfriend. You have to use your brain to keep in nimble!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 -- Evening

So even though I should have been studying yesterday, I took out some time to read some manga. I'm reading InuYasha: a Feudal Fairy Tale by Rumiko Takahashi. The story is very entertaining. The main character is a girl named Kagome, who is pulled into a well by a centipede createure at the Temple where she lives with her grandfather, mother, and brother. The creature is after the Jewel of Four Souls which is inside of Kagome. When Kagome climbs out of the well, instead of being in the current day (1997), she is back in the Sengoku Period (which is around 1478 to 1605). There Kagome finds that she is the spitting image of Kikyo, a brave teenager who died while "killing" InuYasha, a half human, half demon character. InuYasha is left dead, caught by an arrow against a tree. In the battle with the centipede creature over the Jewel of Four Souls, Kagome frees InuYasha, who now lives. They overpower the centipede creature, and Kagome finds that she has power of InuYasha, and he has to obey her "sit" command. Other demons in the area want the Jewel of Four Souls, and during one of the battles the jewel is broken into bits. Hence the start of the lengthy serial detailing the attempts by Kagome and InuYasha to recover the bits of the jewel. Between fights with demons, Kagome goes back and forth between the village inhabited by the elderly brother of Kikyo and the current time. the various adventures fly by, and we begin to learn more of the character of Kagome and InuYasha. This is a very good manga series and one that I would highly recommend. There's alot of action, good plot, characters with depth, and not too much martial arts.

Saturday, May 12, 2007 -- Evening

This evening, I went to see Benjamin Orbach speak at the local Joseph Beth's bookstore. Benjamin was there to promote his book, Live From Jordan. The book is a compliation of letters written to his parents and gives his impression of life in the Middle East, especially Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. Benjamin did a great job with the talk and showed his stories were from a personal nature. It was very interesting to hear the perspective of an American who shows us that Arabs in the area are human with the same desires and wishes that we have in America. Granted there are cultural and religious differences, but the base stories are the same: going out to party as a youngster, getting a job, getting married, and having children. I just bought the book this evening, so I haven't had a chance to read it, but I am excited at reading it to see if Benjamin brings the same humorous and thoughtful perspectice to his writing as he did with his talk.

Monday, May 7, 2007 -- Evening

I have become addicted to a new passion over the past couple of weeks. Yes, I have started to read manga. Manga is Japanese for comics, and usually refers to comics that were originally printed in Japan. Of course, there are tons of books out there telling folks how to draw comics in manga style. I'm not so keen on the action items. I prefer the human drama/comedy manga. My favorite so far has been Maison Ikkoku. It's a comic by Rumiko Takahashi and covers the antics of the inhabitants of Maison Ikkoku, a boarding house. The people are wild, partying characters, and the story mostly focuses on the romantic foibles of Yusaku Godai and Kyoko Otonashi. Their relationship is mangled by a numerous misunderstands, and the fact that they don't talk about their feelings to each other. Yusaku is a loser who was a fail-out on his college exams. He eventually passes, and the books follow him through college and his job search. Koyoko is a young widow who comes to Maison Ikkoku as the manager. An anime was made of the series, and I am renting it from Netflix to see how it is. I read most of the series, and just missed two middle books that I've just gotten out of the library today. I really want to read more of Rumiko's mangas.

The other manga that I am reading is the Kindaichi Case Files. This is a mystery series with Hajime Kindaichi who is a slacker with an extremely high IQ (180). He goes to Fudo High School, and he solves the mysteries with the assistance of Miyuki Nanase and sometimes with Detective Kenmochi. It's amazing how many people, especially young teens, wind up gorily and graphically murdered in the manga. That's the one thing that is interesting about manga. There is alot of nudity and adult type themes. The audience is targetted for young teens, but sometimes it just seems pretty graphic for a teen. There's alot of sexual content too--Hajime, Miyuki, and another kid are climbing with the aid of chairs. They fall at one point, and Hajime has his face under Miyuki's skirt looking at her underwear. The other kid is beneath Hajime and yells at him to move because something hard is poking him in the face--meaning Hajime's penis. The manga are fun, and as I said, I'm an addict. They are such quick reads so I keep on going to the library to get more!

Monday, March 26, 2007 -- Late Afternoon

I was hugely disappointed in a book this weekend. I got the latest Rita Mae Brown book, Puss 'n Cahoots. Now the past few books have been really going downhill for Ms. Brown, but I thought since she was moving away from Harry Hairsteen's hometown that she would drop some of the topics that saturated the past books and return to the mystery. Yes, I was getting tired of hearing of Boom-Boom's outlook on lesbian relationships. Give me a mystery in my mystery book! Well, Puss 'n Cahoots was such a huge disappointment that I couldn't get more than 30 pages into the book. The writing was poor, and it just seemed to me as if Ms. Brown actually did let the cat write the book this time. I just found myself not carrying about any of them and wishing that whoever was the murderer would become a successful serial killer and kill this series. If you want to read the best of the books, read the first few in the series. There are fifteen books in the series, but stop before you get to the teens. The earlier books concentrate more on the mystery, and less on the philosophical viewpoints of the characters. And from the looks of this last one, have better writing!

Thursday, March 15, 2007 -- Evening

I have just finished reading a very interesting book. It is Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax" by Philip Plait. The book covers various topics that people think they understand but usually get wrong. In the book we find out why the sky is blue, why we have seasons, what the role of the moon is, the Moon landing hoax (there are people who think that the Moon landing was faked and filmed in the US deserts), and examples of "bad astronomy" in movies. The last are things that are misrepresented in movies. Our society really doesn't appreciate or understand science, and think that it is hard just because they haven't taken the time to actually do some reading. The book is quite interesting and a quick and easy read. This book would be very good for someone who believes he or she is scientifically illiterate.

Monday, March 12, 2007 -- Evening

A survey was taken in Britain to find out which books people start reading, but don't finish. I have to admit that I was very surprised to find Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire amongst the books listed because although the book is a long one, it isn't a difficult read. By that, I mean that the story flows and the language is easy to understand. Also, I think that I have to agree with someone who posted a rebuttal to the list on the BBC page that Goblet of Fire is one of the best of the books! One of the books that I have tried to read, but failed at finishing was the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have tried twice to finish the books. The first time, I got bogged down in the Return of the King and the second time, I couldn't even get through The Two Towers. Yes, I skipped over the nauseautingly boring poems and songs, but that didn't ease the overall sophoric nature of the stories for me. In fact, I thought that maybe the films would help and I would be able to finally find out how it ended. Well, I found the second movie to just as boring as the book. I couldn't bring myself to even go to see the third one. So again, boredom overcame me. I can't even bring myself to be interested enough to sample the DVD in small doses. I know that this is sacrilege to fans of the books, but I think that it just comes down to personal tastes and interests.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007 -- Afternoon

I did manage to finish reading Gordan Ramsay's new autobiography Roasting in Hell's Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words, and the Pursuit of Perfection. The book is as most of these celebrity biographies are: short, big font, and not alot of bang for the buck. There are some nice color photos, and I did find out some things that I didn't know before. Ramsay did not have an easy childhood, and had a father who was abusive to his mother and the kids. It seems that Ramsay has alot of his qualities today in retaliation to his father. I find that I like Ramsay even more than before because of his honesty. Ramsay is how he appears, and doesn't try to make himself out to be a saint. In some respects he reminds me of my boyfriend who will say things to get a rise out of people. The book was a quick and interesting read.

Friday, February, 2, 2007 -- Late Afternoon

The last Harry Potter is scheduled for release on July 21. The book is titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There hasn't been alot of information about the book at this time, but the cost is $35.95, and the implication is that the book must have more pages than the last one. Supposedly, a record number of people, 1.5 million, have pre-ordered the book from Amazon. I'm not shopping at Amazon as I used to because when you do choose the free shipping option, they purposefully hold up your shipment. Other online stories don't pull shennigans like that, so I'm not shopping from Amazon. However, I will probably stop at the local Barnes and Noble. That would be alot more fun because there will be festivities at the store.

Friday, January 26, 2007 -- Evening

I finished reading Richard Dawkins' latest book The God Delusion this weekend. Dawkins is an atheist, and the book is an analysis of religious belief. Dawkins covers topics such as why people believe, and how religious belief has not been good for society. It challenges science and evolution, and many acts of war and terrorism have been carried out in the name of God. Read my review of the book for more details.

Monday, January 8, 2007 -- Late Afternoon

I have been late in finding out about this comic, but I have become a huge fan of FoxTrot by Bill Amend. He just recently decided to take a break from the daily comic grind and is only going to release a Sunday comic. The comics are funny, and I like the nerdy, scientific bend of young, child genius, Jason Fox. He's also one of those troublemakers that I aspired to become as a child. I have been requesting the books from the library to catch up, but I might need to buy a few to support Mr. Amend. After all, what could be better than a person who has a degree in physics, but writes comics for a living?

Wednesday, December 20, 2006 -- Late Morning

I just finished reading Michael Crichton's latest book, Next this week, and I enjoyed it. It wasn't as good as some of the others that he has written, but it wasn't bad either. Read my review for more details.

Monday, October 2, 2006 -- Evening

Because it was Yom Kippur, I had plenty of free time on my hands to read, and I wound up reading two books in the past 25 hours. First up was Daniel Silva's book, A Death in Vienna. This was the fourth Gabriel Allon book and the third in the series within a series that dealt with matters pertaining to World War II. In this novel, Eli Lavon is the head of the Wartime Claims and Inquires office stationed in Vienna, Austria. A bombing in the office kills Lavon's two assistants and severely wounds Lavon. Ari Shamron sets Gabriel on the track of the killer. The path takes Allon on a search for an SS officier, Erich Radek, who was responsible for hiding the evidence of the Holocaust. Radek's speciality was engineering, and he came up with a way to dispose of the dead bodies, while also lending his hand to mass murder. Radek's path intertwines with that of Gabriel's mother, Irene, who spent time in Auschwitz and was a member of the Death March. The guilt that Irene experienced is transferred to her son, and he makes it a personal quest to bring Radek to justice. Along the way, the way in which those who perpetrated the Holocaust were able to escape justice is brought to light with the Vatician again playing a role in how it would assist with money and transportation out of the country. Would Radek escape his final justice? The book flows from one event to the next. I found myself so engrossed in the book that I had trouble putting it down. Silva does a great job of making the reader feel an investment in the story. The characters come alive, and you feel the pain of those who suffered at the hands of Radek and his ilk. A great book, entertaining, exciting, abit of history, and a satisfying finish. I did feel some disappointment at the end because I have no new Gabriel Allon adventures to read and will have to wait for the author to release a new one, hopefully next year.

The other book that I read was a very quick read. This one was the five people you meet in heaven. It's written by Mitch Albom. I just find it amazing that Albom writes the books that he does because I always think of his as the guy with the funny haircut and humungous ears from the ESPN's Sports Reporters. The book is a short one, 196 pages, and it is the story of a old man, Eddie, who is the maintenance man at a small amusement park called Ruby Pier. Eddie is killed at the beginning of the book saving the life of a little girl from a falling amusement ride. Eddie then goes to heaven where he learns that he will meet five people who have either influenced or been influenced by his life. My boyfriend suggested that I read the book because he heard about it from his boss' wife, and I have to admit that it was a very moving experience. Life is what you make of it, and sometimes the most important lesson that can be learned is that sometimes something bad may happen to a person which is actually for the best or in the best interests of another person. Life is a balance sheet where loss of life for one person might mean the extension of life for someone else. The book has really made me think, and I think that I need more time to actually absorb the story so I can comment on it more fully. I would definitely recommend the book, and am going to look up the others that Albom wrote: Tuesdays with Morrie and the newest that just came out in the past week, for one more day.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006 -- Evening
I read another Daniel Silva book. This one was The Confessor. This is the third in the Gabriel Allon series and the second in a three book set that the author wrote to address issues from World War II that linger to the current day. The first of the triology is The English Assassin which dealt with the role that the the Swiss government and banks played in the Nazis' ability to obtain money and art from Jewish citizens. The Confessor looks at the role that the Vatician played in the atrocities against the Jews. Pope Pius XII kept silent about the Holocaust and did not speak out to condemn the actions of the Nazis and nothing to encourage the Catholic Church to assist the Jews in escaping the fate of the concentration camps. In the book, which is a fictionalized account, the Church is even see as condoning the actions of the Nazis due to anti-Semetic feelings and that fear that the establishment of a Jewish state would give the Jews an equal footing with the Catholic church in world wide politics. Benjamin Stern, a member of the Mossad who worked with Gabriel Allon in the search and killing of the Munich terrorists in the 1970s, is writing a book about the actions of the Catholic Church when he is murdered in his apartment in Munich. Gabriel Allon, in the midst of a restoration on a Bellini in Venice, is set on the trail of the killer and finds that the path leads him into the inner sanctum of the Vatican and Crux Vera, a secret society that holds much power in the Vatican. In additional, the fictional pope in the book, Paul VII, is trying to have the secret archive of materials from WWII made public. Crux Vera opposes the release, and wants to stop the Pope from making a public apology for the Church's inaction at the Rome synagogue. As is usual with the Silva books, there is alot of tension as Gabriel hunts down the shadowy assassin, the Leopard, while he himself is hunted by Crux Vera and the Leopard. What is the secret about the Church that Ben Stern discovered? Will Gabriel discover the killer of Stern, and will he be able to save the Pope from assassination? Daniel Silva is an enthralling story teller who moves the reader from one high speed chase to the next. Silva does a great job of blending in information about the historic wrongs committed against the Jews with current investigations. The characters in the book are complex with Allon tortured by past actions and the attack that took the life of his young son and the soul from his wife. Silva also gives some insight to the villians of the piece. There aren't any cardboard figures here. Great book that I highly recommend. I can't wait to read the final book in the trilogy, Death in Vienna.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006 -- Afternoon
Google Books is now up in its beta format. The site contains a slew of public domain books that searchers can browse or download. I looked for some titles, and I have to admit that I think that I prefer Project Gutenberg. The difference is that with Google you see the scanned pages, while Gutenberg gives you a text version. Yes, it might be prettier to "flip" through the pages on Google, but I'd rather have the whole book available for reading, even it is in text format.

Sunday, September 3, 2006 -- Evening
I finished reading The English Assassin by Daniel Silva this weekend. If there is one thing that Daniel Silva can do, it's writing spy novels. The English Assassin is different from some of the other Silva novels that I have read because it doesn't have a terrorist as a bad guy. The bad guy in this instance are the powers in Switzerland who want to keep the country's deeds during Second World War undercovers. Not only that, but the powers that be want to keep the wealth that it has accummulated from dealing with the Nazis and cheating the Jews. This particular book is the second in the Gabriel Allon series, and he enters the story because of his work as an art restorer. Instead, Allon finds himself alone in a house with a dead body of a reculsive multimillionaire, Augustus Rolfe and the Swiss police on his tail. In the process of trying to figure out who killed Rolfe, Allon finds himself involved with Rolfe's daughter, gifted violinist, Anna Rolfe. The English assassin of the title is the person who is hired by the Swiss powers to hide the trail of the group who killed Rolfe. The book is a race between the English Assassin and Allon. Allon finds himself in some pretty tricky situations, and at times, I wondered if Allon would be able to extricate himself from the dilemnas that he finds himself in. As with the other books, the plot is intricate and the pacing is fast. It was an interesting read, and again, I have to highly recommend the book to anyone who likes thrilling action. As with the other books, you also get an education in how the Nazi rulers stole the art collections of prominent Jewish collectors and how the Swiss government has blood on its hands from its willingness to line the pockets of the powerful in the country without reguard for human life.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 -- Afternoon
I just finished reading The Messenger by Daniel Silva. It is the sixth and latest in the Gabriel Allon series. The book was one of those that I had difficulty putting down. I devoured the book in just a few days. I highly recommend this one to anyone who likes thrilling spy stories. Read my review.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006 -- Early Afternoon
JK Rowling has said that two characters that she didn't plan on killing off will die in the 7th Harry Potter book. It seems that as she was writing that it just turned out that way. Sometimes when you start to put pen to paper (and in her case she actually does it that way), things go in directions that you haven't planned. In her case, one character that she had planned to kill off is going to survive and two others die. No other clues on who the characters might be, but one of them might be Harry himself. As Rowling said, before this book, she didn't have a strong urge to kill Harry off. In fact, it was necessary that he stay on. Rowling did admit that she can understand the urge that writers have to kill off a favorite creation so it can't be resurrected by someone else. This really sounds like Harry does die in the end. So for my guess, I am thinking that a Weasley is going to die. It may be Ginnie, but it may be Ron. And unfortunately, I think that Harry will be the other.

Thursday, June 8, 2006 -- Evening
JK Rowling was named as the greatest living British writer by The Book Magazine. Terry Pratchett trailed Rowling with a third of the number of votes to win second place. The authors were picked by a survey of readers.

Monday, April 24, 2006 -- Evening
Later in the afternoon, my boyfriend and I went to the Festival of Mystery that was held by the Mysterylovers Bookstore in Oakmont, PA. There were around 50 authors there, and there were probably a few hundred mystery fans there. The authors were in one section of the hall, and the other end of the hall was setup with chairs and a section where some of the authors could be interviewed by the bookstore owner. I got to meet Rhys Bowen. I haven't read any of her books just yet, but I have heard alot about the books on the DorothyL mystery list. I was able to take a few pictures before my camera battery died, and unfortunately they didn't turn out very good because of the lack of light in the area. However, Rhys Bowen's picture turned out pretty good. It was a fun event. I only stayed for a short while because it was crowded, and the interviews were minimal.

Sunday, April 23, 2006 -- Late Afternoon
I have just finished reading the new Cesar Millan book, Cesar's Way. The book is identical to the television show, Dog Whisperer. As Cesar Millan tells dog owners, you have to establish yourself as pack leader from the beginning and you have to practice calm, asssertive behavior with the dog at all times. Consistency is the key to having a well-behaved animal. In the dog world, there are leaders and followers. The dog looks to the owner as a leader, but when the owner fails at that role, the dog feels that he has to become the leader. If your dog leads when you walk, determines the stops along the walk (stopping to sniff and pee whenever the urge comes to him), jumps on people, barks or displays aggression to other animals or people, or if you ever find yourself saying that your dog does things because he wants to do it, then you have a problem. Your dog believes that he is the leader of your pack and that you are just a follower. If you have a powerful breed of dog, like a Pitbull, Rottweiler, or Doberman, then you might find yourself with a Red-zone dog. That's a dog that has aggression problems that could spell trouble or lawsuits for you. This is a book that's worth the cover price. Even if you don't have a dog, you might find yourself analyzing your own personality and the energy that you project.

Friday, April 21, 2006 -- Evening
If you love to read mysteries, you might want to check out the Festival of Mystery that is being held by the Mystery Lovers Bookshop here in Oakmont, PA. The festival is going to be held this coming Monday from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm. A slew of authors will be at there. I'll be attending and will post pictures and commentary.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006 -- Evening
I just got a book from the library today, and it brought tears of laughter to my eyes. It's Atomic Wedgies, Wet Willies, & Other Acts of Roguery by Greg Tananbaum. The book is a short one and was obviously written for the adolescent boy in all of us. The book lists every type of prank that can be pulled on others--like wedgies, Dutch Ovens, Hoodwinks, Nose Tweaks, and other fun things that I can't wait to pull on my boyfriend. The Lift Lies will be great--you know, make up bizarre and gross stories about others or yourself in the elevator. The best thing about this book is that it describes the prank, gives tips on how to best pull it off, and ways to defend yourself from attack. A great, quick read that I strongly recommend.

Friday, April 7, 2006 -- Late Evening
Dan Brown was found to not have copied the ideas of Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. The judge even said that Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh must pay 85% of Random Houses costs for battling the lawsuit. Totally cost for Random House was approximately $2.6 million. Baigent and Leigh were also denied the permission to appeal the decision. I think that Baigent and Leigh just filed the suit for the publicity. For some reason, even though they lost, they believe that they won on the "spirit of the law."

Saturday, March 18, 2006 -- Late Morning
I just finished reading Prince of Fire last night. It's a spy novel by Daniel Silva. I had heard about the series of books that Silva wrote about Israeli spy, Gabriel Allon, but hadn't had a chance to read any of the books. However, a couple of weeks ago, I was in the library, and Prince of Fire was sitting on the best sellers cart. The book was a very good read, and I would have finished it sooner if I had more time to read. It is an enjoyable page turner. Read my review.

Saturday, March 11, 2006 -- Late Morning
An interesting turn in the Dan Brown trial in England. This is the trial where the authors of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail are accusing Brown of stealing their idea for his book. Well, one of the authors of the Holy Blood book has admitted that one of the ideas in his book was appears in someone else's book. Richard Leigh, one of the authors of Holy Blood said that the idea that Jesus did not die on the cross, but lived to marry Mary Magadlene and father child was "Not copied, repeated." I say that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Mr. Leigh and Michael Baigent profitted from the Da Vinci Code because people bought the Holy Blood and Holy Grail book to read more about it. Also, it does help them that Brown credits them as a source of information. Some folks like Mr. Leigh and Mr. Baigent are just darned greedy!

Sunday, March 5, 2006 -- Evening
I finally finished reading Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea by Nancy Atherton. It was an okay read, but somewhat of a disappoitment. It is the rare author who is able to keep the story and characters fresh after serveral installments in a series. I really liked listening to Ms. Atherton at her recent book signing, but if I met her today, I would beg for a stronger mystery. Read my full review.

Saturday, February 11, 2006 -- Evening
This morning, I went to a breakfast talk with Nancy Atherton at the Mystery Lovers Bookstore to promote her new book Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea. Atherton is an extremely entertaining talker, and wowed the audience with stories of how she writes and funny events that have happened in her life. She talked of her childhood and how her parents raised her and her five brothers and two sisters to be independent and observant thinkers. Atherton has had several, low paying jobs that gave her alot of life experience and characters to draw from for her books. Mystery Lovers provided a breakfast of bagels, scones, fruit and coffee/tea for the 20 or so women who attended the talk. Afterwards, Atherton did a book signing. I will give a review on the book as soon as I have a chance to read it. That may not be soon because of the work that I have to do for my journalism class. In fact, that is why I attended the lecture today. Read the piece that I did on Atherton's comments on writing for the class.

Friday, December 30, 2005 -- Early Evening
If one of your upcoming New Year's resolutions is to do more reading, you might want to check on the email bookclub DearReader.com. Every Monday through Friday, you can receive a few pages from a book fitting the genre of your choice. Only about a chapter of the book is sent out via email, and if you are interested in reading more, you can get the book from the local library or purchase it. A link to your home library is set at registration time and is included in every email to facilitate the process. The genres available are mystery, sci-fi, horror, romance, plain old fiction, non-fiction, business, and prepublication books. The woman who runs the site includes a chatty comment about life in each email that at times is more entertaining than the book selection. Next week, the non-fiction option will be The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul by Phil Jackson.

Monday, December 19, 2005 -- Afternoon
One of my favorite authors is Charles Dickens. When I was a young child, I would reread David Copperfield every summer. Another of my favorites is Christmas Carol, and Penguin Books UK is releasing a free podcast of the book as read by Geoffrey Palmer on its web site. The podcast is broken up into five pieces, and today was the release of the third piece. The podcast will only be available until the New Year, so go to Penguin Books UK and subscribe to the RSS feed to get the mp3s.

Thursday, August 18, 2005 -- Late Afternoon
I have been reading the Case for Israel by Alan Dershowitz for the past week. It is a very good book, and does a nice job of both identifying the common misconceptions about Israel and providing the evidence that proves those claims wrong. As the settlers are evaluated from Gaza, this is a good time to read more about Israel and get an understanding of the issues that the country faces. I read the following interview with Binyamin Netanyahu were he details his concern about the safety of Israel with the evacuation of Gaza. As he states, 300 million Israeli dollars have been poured into the western Negev. This is the area of the country that abutts the Gaza. In the past, security issues weren't as big of a concern in the area because the Israeli forces were in Gaza and were able to staunch attacks to deeper areas of Israel. Now as Netanyahu says, the front has just moved back, and areas that weren't vulnerable to attack are. The proof will be in the eating of the pudding. We will have to see what happens in Gaza over the next few months.

Monday, August 1, 2005 -- Afternoon
I just finished reading Die Laughing by Carola Dunn. The book is the twelfth in the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries. This time around Daisy has to go to the dentist because of a sore tooth, and finds the dentist dead in his chair with the gas mask around his face. The dentist died laughing from laughing gas. Who is the murderer? The dentist was cheating on his wife and she was cheating on him. Was the murderer his wife, his mistress, his wife's lover, or someone else. Daisy is on the case helping out her husband, Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher. Ms. Dunn did an excellent job with this mystery. The number of suspects was a small one, and each was lying or hiding something. Although I had an inkling of who the murderer was towards the beginning of the story (and it did turn out to be the murderer), the twists and turns were well done and made me really wonder if I had gotten it all wrong. The book is a good, light, quick read, and perfect for a lazy day at the beach or in the park. Or lying around in bed waiting for your foot to heal. So far, the series has been an enjoyable one, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a light, historical cozy.

Sunday, July 31, 2005 -- Afternoon
JK Rowling has inflamed some other authors with comments that she made about fantasy. Terry Pratchett thought that Rowling should have known that writing about witches, goblins and magic fall in the realm of fantasy. What raised his ire is that she seemed to minimalize the genre while obviously not knowing alot about it and while writing in that genre. As Pratchett says, she writes fantasy, and other authors who write good novels that sell well aren't given the media hype that Rowling gets. You could say that it is sour grapes, but Pratchett is a well-known and acclaimed author of fantasy. I think that he just wants Rowling to admit what she writes and be proud of it. Fantasy and mystery books are not anything to be ashamed of writing or reading.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 -- Afternoon
I finished reading Mistletoe and Murder by Carola Dunn. This is the eleventh book in the Daisy Dalrymple series. The books are set in the 1920s, and Daisy is a modern woman for the times and supports herself by writing articles about stately homes. Since her father was an Earl, Daisy has access to and knows how to behave in the higher levels of society. From the first book in the series, Death at Wentwater Court, Daisy finds herself involved in murder and meeting her future husband, Scotland Yard's own Alec Fletcher. In Mistletoe and Murder, we find Daisy travelling to Lord Westmoor's home in Cornwall that is based on a real-life house, Cotehele. Daisy asked Lord Westmoor if she could write an article about the house based on the fact that she is a distant relation to Westmoor. Since Daisy's visit is around Christmas time, it is only natural that her mother would wrangle an invite for Christmas under the mistaken impression that the Lord of the Manor would be present. Unfortunately, the Lord of the Manor isn't there, but his poor relations are. As the holiday nears, murder appears when a clergyman brought from Indian by one of the relations winds up dead. Motive for the murder is that the clergyman can prove that the matriarch of the poor relations was actually married to the son of the former Lord Westmoor which will mean that the family will inherit the title and wealth. Since Alec is a Scotland Yard man on the scene, he is told to carry on an investigation. With the help of Daisy, his young daughter Belinda, and Daisy's nephew, Derrick, Alec solves the murder. The story is a very fun, light real, and as with the other books in the series, it's not very hard to figure out whodunit. The one problem that I have with the books is that the first book starts in 1923, and by the time you get to the 12th book, it is still 1923. Obviously, Carola doesn't keep track of the passing time. Other than that, the story is light and entertaining. A quick read when you want to forget about the troubles of the world.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005 -- Afternoon
I finally finished my review of the new Harry Potter book. I really did enjoy the story, and can't wait for the final book. Unfortunately, that will be some time from now. What will happen to Harry and how will Voldemort be defeated? We will just have to wait to for book number seven. In the meantime, this book does the series proud by providing us with all the elements that make a story exciting: love, danger, and action. Tears will be shed by the end, but that is life for you. We can't always have a storybook ending, even in a storybook.

Monday, July 18, 2005 -- Afternoon
I finished reading the Harry Potter book last night, and am working on my review. There are many comments that I want to make and spoilers so I taking my time over it and hope to have a complete review ready by tomorrow. I will say this now: the book was a very good one. It does an excellent job of setting up expectations for the next book, and I have to admit that I have some ideas where things will be going that I will put in the review. The story did have me crying at the end because an important character dies, and it was unexpected in how it happened. The book sales broke all the sales records, selling 6.9 million in the first 24 hours. In the UK over 2 million copies were sold in the first 24 hours. That's pretty impressive. Meanwhile Ms. Rowling says that she needs a break to care for her 6 month old daughter. she is doing some writing, but really can't give all the time to it that she would like to. The end is going to be difficult for Rowling because she has been living with the idea for the book for so long. She also says that she is going to consider doing something other than fantasy, and will probably use a pseudonym for her next book to reduce the pressure and expectations on the book. After all, what could possibly live up to Harry Potter?

Sunday, July 17, 2005 -- Evening
I am hoping to finish Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince tonight. I am slowly getting there, and am now on page 461 of 652. JK Rowling won't be starting the next book until later this year. I would have hoped that she would have started already because that means another two years before we find out how it all ends. As soon as I finish, I'll give a review.

Saturday, July 16, 2005 -- Morning
My boyfriend bought my copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I'm going to start reading it now. My boyfriend went to the early registration at the local Barnes and Noble, and was the 113th person to get the book after midnight. By the time he got home, it was late, so I put off reading the book until this morning. I do plan on spending the day reading it. According to reports from last night's reading by JK Rowling, she promises answers to many questions.

Friday, July 15, 2005 -- Late Afternoon
Last night, I finished reading the first in the Lyn Hamilton archaeological mysteries. This one was called The Xibalba Murders. The book was a very quick read. Of course, I haven't had much else to do other than read. Lara McClintoch appears in this book, and it is just right after her divorce from Clive Swain, and she has had to give up the antique business because of division of properties in the divorce. At the beginning of the book, Lara is at loose ends. She has no business, no husband, and has returned to college because she has been advised by her attorney to not make money. Lara receives a cryptic call from Dr. Hernan Castillo asking her to come to Merida in Mexico to help him with a mysterious project about a writing rabbit. Of course, Lara goes down to assist him, but unfortunately by the time she gets there, Hernan is not there to meet her. He calls to let her know that he will see her soon. That's not the only intrigue that Lara has to deal with. The Children of the Talking Cross are a revolutionary group who are involved with the theft of a Mayan statue from a local cafe owned by the rich Diego Maria Gomez who is a huge collector of art and Mayan artifacts. Lara is in the cafe at the time and recognizes her one of the participants. It's the son of the family who is putting her up in their hotel. One of the members of the children of the Talking Cross shows up dead on the roof of the museum where Hernan is director. Then Hernan turns up dead. What is the writing rabbit? Can Lara track down the meaning of the clue and figure out who murdered her friend? Who can Lara trust to help her? The charming Jonathan? The elusive Lucas? The possible corrupt federal officer Martinez? The book was a good thrill ride. The thing that I liked the most about this book was that it was action packed. Lara is one of those heroines who jumps to action. Of course, sometimes she jumps into action with telling anyone or thinking it through all the way. There was this level of tension that ran throughout the book, and Ms. Hamilton did a good job with it. I have to admit that I guessed a part of the mystery, but not the whole of it, so there were some shocking and surprising moments at the end. I am going to move on to the others in the series, and in fact, just started The Maltese Godess. However, I will be putting it aside so I can read Harry Potter tonight.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005 -- Morning
It seems that a few Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince books were mistakenly sold early in Canada, and there is now a court order out to prevent anyone from leaking details about the book. It seems that the book went on sale in one shop on July 7, and was quickly pulled. Some folks who bought copies returned them willingly, but not all the copies were returned. You would think that folks would know from the last book that there were issues with early sales.

Monday, July 11, 2005 -- Afternoon
Where will you be buying your new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? It seems that in Britain, book stores are fighting for folks to come and buy the book from their stories with giveaways. Some places are having elaborate costume parties, while others are giving away gift certificates on other purchases. I am going to get my copy from the local Barnes and Noble on Friday night. Well, actually I am going to be laid up at home because I can't put weight on my foot for 10 days, but my boyfriend is going to get it for me.

Friday, June 24, 2005 -- Evening
I finished reading the newest Carolyn Hart book, Death of the Party. It's another book in the Death on Demand series featuring Annie and Max Darling, and comes next in the series after Murder Walks the Plank. Now this book was slightly different from the other books in the series because it takes place outside of Broward's Rock. Max Darling is approached by Britt Barlow, who tells him of the murder of her brother-in-law, Jeremiah Addison. The problem is that the murder occurred a year earlier, and Britt hid the fact that a wire trap was laid out for Jeremiah at the top of the stairs, causing him to fall to his death. Britt's reason for hiding the murder attempt was to save her dying sister Cissy (Jeremiah's wife) from the horror of a murder investigation. Cissy died shortly after Jeremiah, and Britt inherited Golden Silk, the island getaway that Jeremiah had owned. Britt received a blackmail threat, and her plan is to bring all the guests who were at Golden Silk when Jeremiah died, and unmask the murderer. For this she needs Max's help. Of course, where Max goes, Annie follows. The guests wind up trapped on the island after the handyman beats a hasty retreat with the only boat. Another murder is committed and Max and Annie are in a race to find out who is the murderer before anyone else dies. The mystery is a good one, and although I managed to figure out who the murderer was, I thought that the plot had a really nice twist. The difference between this book and others in the series is that there isn't alot of mention of other mystery books and authors. I didn't miss it because the the story was intriguing. What I really like about the Death on Demand series is that the quality of the stories remains consistent which isn't always the case with mystery series. As for the five paintings in Annie's bookstore, I was only able to guess one of them this time too. It was a good book, and I would recommend it for anyone who likes a good read.

Monday, June 6, 2005 -- Evening
I have been trying to catch up on my reading. I admit that I am a book addict, and if I'm not buying a book, I'm getting a few from the library. Since I work in Oakland, the Carnegie Library is right there. However, I really prefer the local Carnegie Library here in Squirrel Hill. The book that I just finished was Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart. It was an entertaining book, and I did enjoy reading it.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005 -- Morning
This morning before I came to work, I finished reading Sick of Shadows by Marion Chesney. This is the third in the series of the Edwardian mysteries that I have been reading that included Snobbery with Violence and Hasty Death. Although this series was entertaining and quick to read, the books were light on the mystery, and I think that Sick of Shadows was the lightest of the three. We return to the adventures of Lady Rose Summer and her new fiance, Captain Harry Cathcart. Daisy and Beckett also return as the sidekicks. We get more of the same misunderstandings between Rose and Harry, who can't see that they are made for each other even though it is quite obvious to all of their non-society friends. The book goes from one misunderstanding to another, and almost reached a point where I wanted to wring both of their necks. However, in the end, all works out. I don't think that I will be reading another of these books just because it was so light on the mystery, and the writing was so terse and staccato in nature. I'm sure that the next book (which will probably be out in the fall or next spring) will put another impediment into the path of happiness for Rose and Harry. There will be more misunderstandings and threats of being sent to India. The only aspect of the books that I do find interesting is Ms. Chesney's excellent grasp of the Edwardian time period. You can almost feel the stays in the women's clothes, and she paints a very good picture of the culture and society at that time with the many class restrictions and snobberies.

Friday, May 20, 2005 -- Afternoon
Batya Gur died yesterday from cancer. She is the author of mysteries written in Hebrew and set in Israel. The books have been translated into English, and have actually met with a good response. The books have a more psychological overtone to them. The latest is Bethlehem Road Murder, and you can read the first chapter. Batya was only 57, and had just found out last year that she had cancer.

Thursday, May 19, 2005 -- Evening
I just finished reading Hasty Death by Marion Chesney. Although I have grown interested in the characters, I have to admit that this book was not as good as the first Snobbery With Violence. We have the return of Captain Harry Cathcart and Lady Rose Summer (along with Daisy and Beckett). Why didn't I enjoy it that much? Because the whole story seemed very rushed. Ms. Chesney (or Ms. Beaton) writes in a very terse, staccato way, but it just seemed to be extremely exaggerated in this particular book. There is one more in the series, Sick of Shadows which just came out in April. I just got it from the library, and I plan on reading it even though I was not excited with this story. We still have Lady Rose in Hasty Death trying to find her role in life. She starts the story getting permission from her family to take on a typing job with Daisy, little realizing that it is a job that has been setup by Harry at a friend's bank. Murder entertains the picture, and a society person who may have been blackmailing other nob types winds up dead. Lady Rose uses her detective skills at the bank to get information on money that has been put in the murdered Freddy's bank account. Before we know it, Lady Rose and Harry are in the thick of things. A slight diversion into an asylum for Rose heightens the suspense, but doesn't deter Rose from her goal, to show up Harry Cathcart. It's obvious to everyone buy Harry and Rose that they are perfect for each other. The reason that I am going to continue with the next book, is that I think they finally realize it for themselves in that one.

Monday, May 16, 2005 -- Evening
I just finished reading Snobbery With Violence by Marion Chesney. It was an entertaining book and a quick read. I have a more detailed review.

Saturday, May 14 2005 -- Evening
70 lucky kids are going to get to hear JK Rowling read from her new book one minute after the start of the sell of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The 70 children will be winners of a variety of competitions that are going to be held. They will then travel Edinburgh Castle, and that's where JK Rowling will do her reading. The event should be broadcast live worldwide. It will be interesting to see. I haven't yet put my order in for the book. I like to live dangerously and wait for the last minute.

Sunday, May 8, 2005 -- Late Afternoon
I just finished reading an older library book. It's Columbo: the Hoover Files by William Harrington. The book was reminiscent of the television show in that we know whodunit, and see how Columbo figures it out. I'd have to read another one to see how I feel about it. The problem with this book is that Columbo spends the majority of his time interacting with someone who is NOT the killer. I think in total, he only talks with the killer two times. The thing that was also disconcerting about this book is that it didn't jive well with the television Columbo. The accent in the book was very jarring. I kept on trying to put Peter Falk's voice into the scene, but it just didn't ring true. The other thing that I didn't like is that Columbo appeared to be abit of chick magnet in the book. There was the women police officers and the news reporter who seemed to want to get in his pants. It just didn't ring true. The book was quick to read, and I did get a second Columbo book from the library at the same time The Game Show Killer. I'll have to see if it is better.

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 -- Afternoon
I just finished reading Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin by Nancy Atherton last night. The book definitely falls into the catagory of cozy books that I love to read so much. I think that life is stressful enough. Why should I read something that just increases my stress load?

Thursday, April 28, 2005 -- Afternoon
Amos Oz, Israeli writer, has won the 2005 Goethe cultural award for his life's work. Amos Oz was born in Jerusalem in 1939, and has written 18 books and 450 articles and essays over the years. He is also known for his work with the peace movement in Israel. Here is a list of books by Amos Oz.

Monday, April 25, 2005 -- Evening
I finished reading The Serpent on the Crown last night.

Friday, April 22, 2005 -- Afternoon
The DaVinci Code won the best book award at the British Book Awards.

Thursday, April 7, 2005 -- Evening
JK Rowling has read through her new book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and has declared it her best. As Ms. Rowling said, she liked it, but she is sure that some readers won't. It does peak my interest about what is going to happen. She is also going to take several months off to be with her new baby before she starts the seventh book. That's the hardest part of enjoying a series. The readers want to know what is going to happen next, and the author has to take the time to write it. The anticipation for the next book is going to be great because obviously it is going to be delayed, and it is to be the last book. It's going to be hard to wait to find out how it all ends, and it will be hard to know that it is finally over.

Sunday, March 27, 2005 -- Afternoon
I finished reading Cat's Eyewitness by Rita Mae Brown, and I was underimpressed. It was definitely a subpar book, and not up to Rita Mae Brown's usual efforts. Read my review of the book.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 -- Morning
The next time you go to Rome, remember to take along Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. It seems that fans are flocking to Rome and retracing the steps of Robert Langdon around Rome. If you haven't read the book yet, you should give it a try. It is a non-stop thriller. Once you start reading, you'll find it difficult to put down. The only problem is that you will want more, and Dan Brown doesn't have that many books published.

Saturday, March 12, 2005 -- Late Evening
I just finished reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie today. It was an enjoyable book, and I have to admit that I picked the wrong murderer from the beginning. This was the first book that Agatha wrote, and it was published in 1920. It seems that as time past, Agatha was sorry that she had started out with Hercule Poirot as old as he was in the first book because it became difficult to age him as the years past. He is described in this book as a retired policeman which would put him in the 60 year age range. Poirot was a popular character though, and readers kept on asking for more. There were 30 novels with Poirot, and I read somewhere that she really didn't like the character but was stuck with him because of his popularity. In the Mysterious Affair at Styles we are introduced to Captain Hastings as Poirot's not too bright assistant and Inspector Japp as the police investigator. The novel is set the country estate of Styles and fits well into the country manor type of cozy mystery. At the time that Agatha wrote the story, she was working as a nurse during World War I, and spent time in the pharmacy. She made use of her knowledge of hospital pharmacies and drugs in this book. I have to admit that I love mysteries like this one. You have a closed set of characters who could have committed the crime, and you have someone who has no professional standing (since Poirot is a retired policeman and Belgian refugee in England) who investigates the crime. As whodunit is unravelled at the end of the book, you realize that all the clues were staring you in the face all the time. Agatha just did a great job of leading you down the garden path.

Thursday, March 10, 2005 -- Afternoon
The cover art for the British versions of the new Harry Potter book that will be coming out on July 16 has been released. The children's edition will feature Harry and Professor Dumbledoor in the center of a ring of fire while the adult version will show a leather bound version of a book of Advanced Potion Making by Libatius Borage on a desk. The question is can anyone figure out if the covers will give clues to the action in the book? The one thing that we do know is that the book will only be 608 pages which is 169 pages less than Order of the Phoenix.

Sunday, March 6, 2005 -- Evening
I just finished reading Timeline, and I really enjoyed the book. It's another Michael Cricton book. The thing that I enjoy about his books is that he brings in a tie with science, and he does alot of research to make the material believable. I wrote a more detailed analysis here.

Tuesday, March 1, 2005 -- Evening
It seems that Ian Fleming was influenced by the time that he spent in Naval Intelligence during World War II. MI5 has released documents from that time period. One of the documents refers to an Italian plan for a human torpedo that is similar to a jet pack that Fleming created for Bond in Thunderball.

Sunday, February 20, 2005 -- Early Evening
I just finished reading State of Fear by Michael Crichton, and I really enjoyed it. He writes books that are exciting page turners, and also make you think about things. At least that is what happens with me. I am starting more detailed reviews of books that I read starting with this book.

Saturday, February 12, 2005 -- Afternoon
I just finished reading The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton late last night. It took me a while to get it done because I never seeem to be able to find time to read. The book was an interesting one. You can definitely tell that it is Crichton's first book. Although the story is a gripping one, you can tell that as Crichton published more books, his style became more fluid and flowing.
The US has been sending satelites up into the upper atmosphere to look for molecular life forms that could be used to create a biological weapon. One satelite that is sent up winds up crashing unexpected in 24 hours. The satelite had landed in a remote part of Arizona near the town of Piedmont. Unfortunately, one of the residents of Piedmont got to the satelite first and pried it open. This lead to the death of everyone in the town. The bizarre part of it is that while half of the town died of something unknown, the other half committed suicide. There are only two survivors--an old man and a two month old baby. Why did they survive? Fortunately, the military had been planning for a possibility of dangerous extraterrestrial organism with Project Wildfire. The five members of Wildfire work against time to find out what the organism is and how it spreads. The tension builds to a cresendo at the end, and then fizzles. I have to admit that I was wondering what the organism was, but I really wasn't satisfied at the end. What becomes very obvious though is that all the plans that are made to contain the threat of a deadly contagious extraterrestrial go horribly wrong. The thing that I like the most about Crichton is that he brings in alot of scientific detail. crichton is an intelligent man, and obviously puts alot of work into researching his books. You get an education and a joy ride while reading his books.

Monday, January 17, 2005 -- Evening
There are five new Sherlock Holmes stories available from the BBC. They have both audio and written versions of the stories.

Charlotte MacLeod died today. She was one of my favorite mystery writers, but hasn't had anything new released in seven years. She had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and died at the age of 82. My favorite stories of hers were the ones with Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn.

Wednesday, January 5, 2005 -- Evening
I love mystery books. Books are my addiction, and mysteries are the ones that I crave the most. The Carnegie Library has a Mystery Book Group. The book coming up in the last week of January is The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. I haven't read the book in a long time, so I'll have to catch up on it before the end of the month.

Sunday, January 2, 2005 -- Late Afternoon
I just finished reading The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie. This book isn't part of a series, so there isn't a Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple in it. The story was a good one. It starts with a seance at Sittaford. A message comes from the great beyond that Captain Trevelyan is dead. One of the members of the seance party is worried, and walks six miles to check on Captain Trevelyan during a viscious snowstorm to find Captain Trevelyan dead. Who killed the Captain? One of his relatives, James Pearson, just happened to show up in the town right before the murder, and left the next day. James also was one of the four beneficiaries in the will. So, of course, he gets arrested, and his spunky, feisty fiancee Emily Trefusis is on the case to prove James innocent. I love stories like this. The book was published in 1931, and it has all the flavor of that time---no phones available to call to the Captain and a snowstorm that makes Sittaford unreachable for days. Also, there is an intriguing subplot about Mrs. and Miss Willett who rent Sittaford from Captain Trevelyan. Who are the Willets and why did they want to come to Dartmoor in the dead of winter? It's a very entertaining and engaging mystery, and definitely one that I would enjoy reading again.

Wednesday, December 29, 2004 -- Late Afternoon
I had a few books on hold at the Main branch of the Carnegie Library which is in Oakland. The library was recently renovated, and they did an excellent job. The first floor space is bright and spaceous. Low bookcases are used so it is easy to see across the main room where the new books are kept. There is also a small Crazy Mocha cafe area near the checkout counter where coffee, sandwiches and desserts can be had for a reasonable price. A little gift center is also in that area, and it is possible to buy Carnegie Library t-shirts there. Chairs are scattered all over the place, and although modern in style encourage you to sit awhile and browse through the books. Towards the back of the main room, there's a magazine reading room filled with the latest issues of the slew of magazines to which the library subscribes. The outdoor courtyard will be really inviting when the weather is warmer. All in all, it is a very beautiful library, that is well organized and inviting to the reader. My local library is the Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie. It's closed for renovations, and should be opening soon. I am very excited about it reopening, and hope that the design is as good as the Main branch.

Tuesday, December 28, 2004 -- Late Afternoon
I'm just finishing an interesting book. It's In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore. As I get older, I find myself wanting more from life than just working at a job. I want to enjoy life and smell the roses as I walk past them. The book goes through the ways in which life has sped up, and how to slow it down. One of the ways it mentions is Slow Food. The slow food principle is to eat locally grown organic foods, or foods that are homemade instead of preprocessed. Also, families are encouraged to spend time sitting down together to eat instead of grabbing food on the go, or sitting in front of the television and eating. It's not just about food, but in taking walks instead of driving everywhere. A more traditional way of "going slow" is with meditation and yoga classes. The book covers many aspects of life and how they can be modified to fit into the slow philosophy. The point is to not throw out all aspects of modern life, but to find ways to move out of the fast lane for periods. I am definitely planning on putting the philosophy into practice. Life is too short to rush through it.

Thursday, December 23, 2004 -- Evening
Dan Brown, author of the DaVinci Code is working on his new book which is being called The Solomon Key. The title sounds interesting, and makes me wonder what it will be about. So far, there is no release date, but I hope that it will be in the coming year. In the meantime, I am thinking of getting myself the illustrated version of the DaVinci Code. It is beautifully done with illustrations of the paintings, photos of the buildings, and floor plans so as you read, you can see what Dan Brown is talking about.

Wednesday, December 22, 2004 -- Evening
The upcoming Harry Potter book is Amazon.com's largest pre-order ever. I can't wait for it to come out. I have to admit that I only read the series through once, so before the latest comes out, I think a re-read would be in order. The thing is that I have such a large TBR (to be read) pile. I should schedule the first five starting in May so I can move straight into the sixth book when it comes out. If you haven't read any of the books or seen any of the movies, here are plot summaries of the books.

Tuesday, Decmeber 21, 2004 -- Morning
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling has been finished. According to the BBC, the book will be released on July 16. It will be very interesting to see how things transpire in the new book. There are only two more left in the series, and I know that some folks wonder if Harry will make to adulthood.

Sunday, December 19, 2004 -- Evening
Right now, I am reading Football Physics : The science of the Game by Timothy Gay. The combination of physics and football is an interesting concept. So far, I have only read the first 40 pages. So far, the discussion is about the force that is extended by a running back breaking through a defensive line.

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Friday, February 26, 2010 -- Evening

Paris Vendetta

Thursday, January 28, 2010 -- Evening

RIP Holden Caulfield

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 -- Evening

Douglas Preston's Impact

Sunday, January 17, 2010 -- Evening

Crichton's Sphere

Sunday, January 10, 2010 -- Evening

Talking About a Little Bit of Detective Fiction

Saturday, January 9, 2010 -- Evening

Crichton's Prey

Saturday, October 31, 2009 -- Evening

Lost Symbol

Thursday, August 20, 2009 -- Evening

The Defector

Thursday, June 26, 2009 -- Afternoon

Shojo Beat Canceled

Thursday, June 11, 2009 -- Evening

Dead and Gone Review

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